Vacation Debriefing

I feel like I have a vacation hangover. This is the second full day since I’ve been back and I still can’t get into my daily rhythm (whatever that may be). It’s not just that I’m tired, because I don’t really feel that bad. It was a hectic week, though, what with three full days at Disney parks and a sixteen-hour straight-through drive home at the end of it.

Vacations can be for all kinds of purposes–relaxation, reflection, education, new experiences, excitement, for example–but I think all vacations cause you to reassess what you normally do with your life when you’re not on vacation. You ask yourself: if I enjoy this so much, why don’t I do more things like it when I’m home? Or you find out that you prefer your every-day life and location. You may even discover a new direction for your life: a move, a change of vocation, new friendships or relationships.

I didn’t meet anyone new on my vacation, and I’m not ready to move to Florida. Nor do I want to go to amusement parks periodically (in fact, I probably would never go to another one if it weren’t for my grandchildren). But I did enjoy getting outside more, getting some fresh air and exercise and rediscovering some muscle groups that I’d forgotten I had.

I also feel a little younger for having gotten out of my usual cocoon and having an adventure. My daughter swears I looked younger after riding the roller coaster that I was so afraid to go on. And I went on two of them! Did they take me backward in time a little? Maybe. It did feel good to shake it up a bit and prove to myself that I’m capable of something new.

I’m glad to be home again, but I don’t want the glow of this vacation to wear off too quickly. I don’t want it to seem as if it never happened. What’s the good of experiencing something new if it doesn’t change you in some way (hopefully for the better)? I do feel like it’s going to take me some time to come to terms with what this vacation meant to me. Not because it was so earth-shattering. But it did shake me up a bit, and I’m anxious to see how I handle the after-shocks.

There are things outside of me that describe me–I’m a wife, mother and grandmother, for instance. I have two cats and I love to read, write, garden and learn languages. And there are things inside me that describe me–I’m an introvert with strong leanings toward the spiritual and intellectual, I’m ... Continue reading →